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Check out the March issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on the significance of Women’s History Month, a 2017 global education recap, a look back at our Black History Month presentation, a look ahead to Dr. Perman’s Q&A on March 7, and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

The event is being held Feb. 23, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the SMC Campus Center to raise awareness of women’s cardiac health to improve health outcomes in women and the entire community. Students can come and show off their red outfits and compete in a fun, heart-healthy trivia/pageant style show where a winner is selected by a group of judges. The event also will include a speaker from the American Heart Association, heart-health trivia, and raffles to win prizes. At the end, “Mr. and Mrs. Heart” will be selected.

Support the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists’ Operation Heart and Operation Diabetes in a competitive way to celebrate the American Heart Association’s Million Hearts Month.

Team up with your classmates and race to win the top spot in this challenging relay. Freshen up on your cholesterol and heart healthy facts, then lace up for an athletic activity. Teams are encouraged to dress alike so they look unified. You could win bragging rights for your class as well as prizes!

The event will be held Feb. 19, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the SMC Campus Center, Elm Room 208A.

Tickets are $3 and include raffles, refreshments, and prizes. For details and to register for Million Hearts Month Cholesterol Management Relay Day, click here.

Check out the February issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on the Live Near Your Work Program, a look ahead to his quarterly Q&A on March 7, CURE Corner, a story on Jody Olsen’s nomination as Peace Corps director, and a safety tip on winter driving.

Bret Hassel, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the School of Medicine, has been a team player, helping with multiple Universitywide initiatives, since coming to UMB in 1995.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that when Kevin Cullen, MD, director of the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, asked Hassel to be UMGCCC’s liaison for the UMB CURE Scholars Program that he jumped in with both feet.

“What started as a peripheral role on the UMB CURE team rapidly evolved to a more substantial commitment as I was ‘infected’ by the contagious enthusiasm for this program that has now spread as an ‘epidemic’ for the good across UMB schools and the entire city of Baltimore,” Hassel said of the UMB pipeline program that is preparing West Baltimore children for health and research careers through hands-on workshops, lab experiences, and mentorship.

“Indeed, the UMB CURE team is a microcosm of diversity that is at the heart of its goal, with each member bringing a unique skill set that fuels the program,” Hassel said.

For his contributions to CURE and many other programs at UMB and beyond that help under-represented minority students find success, Hassel will receive the Outstanding UMB Faculty Award as part of the University’s Black History Month celebration on Feb. 1.

Hassel, a member of the UMB CURE Scholars team since its inception, serving as a mentor and co-chair of the Sustainability Subcommittee that is charged with writing grant applications to fund the program, said he shares the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Recognition Award with many colleagues.

“It is a humbling honor especially in the context of the many UMB faculty and staff who are also deeply passionate about the importance of diversity and inclusion,” he said. “In that vein, the committed people that I work with are equally responsible for the success of the different outreach and education programs and should be considered as co-recipients of this award.”

In addition to the CURE Scholars, Hassel plays leadership roles in multiple National Institutes of Health-funded programs that promote minority inclusion and diversity at UMB. He has directed the School of Medicine’s Nathan Schnaper Intern Program in Translational Cancer Research for 16 years and is a member of the core team for the STAR-PREP minority postbaccalaureate program.

Most recently, Hassel received a Bridges to the Doctorate grant in partnership with Towson University to foster the progression of minority master’s degree students to PhD programs. He also contributes to minority-focused training programs at Morgan State, Coppin State, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

“Bret does not treat scholar diversity as a dream, he is a team player who helps find the funds and helps build the structures to make this a reality,” said Gregory Carey, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at SOM, who nominated Hassel for the MLK award.

“Bret is focused on diversity achievement at the individual level as well,” added Carey, director of student summer research and community outreach at the school and a former MLK award winner himself. “A faculty member recently asked Dr. Hassel and I to help with a Howard Hughes research fellowship application for one of our PhD-track, African-American scholars. This talented and wonderful young lady happens to also have a certified neurocognitive disability. Bret and I responded enthusiastically! Proudly, we learned from her mentor last week that the student has been advanced to the finalist round for a Howard Hughes Medical Institute student award! What greater reward for service than to read through the letter sent by this proud young lady and celebrate her win with her? This is Dr. King’s dream and what Bret lives for.”

Hassel, who loves mentoring, teaching, and interacting with students, said he gets back more than he gives.

“Working in an environment that promotes a culture of diversity, like UMB, has allowed me to experience the benefits of a diverse workplace and understand the importance of efforts to expand this at UMB and beyond,” he said when asked why helping minorities is so important to him. “The impact of programs that advance minority representation, and benefit all parties involved, provides plenty of motivation to continue this work.”

President Jay. A Perman, MD, is fond of telling new UMB graduates to “go out and change the world.” Tiffany Otto hasn’t graduated yet, but she already is on course toward changing things for the better.

A fourth-year student at the School of Dentistry, Otto has provided meaningful discussions for minority professionals after traumatic local and national incidents with University events such as an open forum on the shooting deaths of unarmed black men with City Councilman Brandon Scott, a post-Freddie Gray meeting where she allowed her colleagues to speak freely and safely, and helped coordinate an event supporting slain Muslim students at colleges in North Carolina with other student groups on the UMB campus.

She has served in organizations such as Healthy Smiles for Baltimore (vice president), the Baltimore Minority Council of Professional and Graduate Students (vice chairman), and the Student National Dental Association (president), which won Chapter of the Year honors for notable programs such as the Taste Bud Tour, where cultural groups shared their cuisines.

For this and much more, Otto will receive a Diversity Recognition Award as Outstanding UMB Student at the University’s Black History Month celebration Feb. 1.

“I truly don’t have many hobbies, thus service and upliftment of others serves me just fine,” Otto said when asked how she finds time for her yeoman organizational efforts. “It is energizing and exhausting, yet empowering at the same time. My commitment to inclusivity, dialogue, support, and service is an integral part of my being.”

This has been demonstrated in her many successful events. The open forum on the shooting of black men provided a safe space for students from all seven UMB schools to discuss their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes without fear or backlash. The goal of this, as well as many of her initiatives and events she has been involved with at the University, was to help students of marginalized ethnic groups and various religious backgrounds attain healing, discussion, and awareness amongst each other.

“I’m incredibly grateful, honored, and thankful that I attend a University that offers such a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. diversity recognition award,” Otto said. “This shows UMB’s commitment to Dr. King’s principles, and that makes me proud to be here. My hope is that this award will inspire students and staff to initiate conversations and spread love to their colleagues, friends, and community members who share different backgrounds than them.”

Some of her best work outside the classroom — it’s easy to forget Otto also maintains a rigorous dental school schedule that includes clinic work with patients several days a week — has come with the Student National Dental Association (SNDA), an organization that strives to uplift minority students.

She was community service chair for SNDA during her second year at UMB and created service events for students, on and off campus. The next year she became president and hosted over triple the community service events. In addition, she led four professional development programs, seven general body meetings, and more.

The school’s SNDA chapter won Chapter of the Year for the second consecutive year, this time with Otto as president. Notable activities were highlighted such as the Taste Bud Tour, during which all cultural groups on campus were invited to share their cuisines; Generation NeXT, which provided opportunities for School of Dentistry students to mentor high school students at the Vivien Thomas Medical Arts Academy; and an Oral Cancer Walk, which raised $19,445.

Otto says all of the SNDA events would not have been possible without the help of her executive board and chapter members who also shared the same vision of service and cultural competence.

“Her impact toward diversity and inclusivity has been monumental over her four years at the school,” said those who nominated her. “She has been a leader every step of the way.”

Otto, who plans to do a dental residency program in New York (and do community projects, of course) after graduating from UMB, credits her parents for putting her on the public service path.

“My character has been shaped by my childhood experiences in a racially diverse small town called South Orange in New Jersey, coupled by a ‘village’ of family and friends who share similar core values,” Otto said. “My parents taught me very early to treat others well, to do good, and to be the change that I wish to see — and it has truly gone a long way. It took a village to get me here, and I owe it to that village to enter spaces at UMB with the same love, energy, and tenacity that they taught me.”

Princaya Sanders used to dream of being a professional wrestler. Now, she has her heart set on anesthesiology. Shakeer Franklin was a disruptive, inattentive middle school student. Now, he plans to be a psychotherapist. Nicholas Knight aspired to be an NFL player. Now he sees a career in health care.

These are just three of the lives that have been changed by the UMB CURE Scholars Program, which for 2 1/2 years has been taking young people from West Baltimore with an interest in science and molding them into future health care workers and researchers through hands-on workshops, lab experiences, and mentorship.

On Feb. 1, the UMB CURE Scholars Program’s central leadership team will receive the Outstanding UMB Staff Award as part of the University’s Black History Month celebration.

When informed of the program’s selection of this award, executive director Robin Saunders, EdD, MS, noted, “This program is truly a labor of love for all of us on the central leadership team. I am honored to work with a team of committed professionals who work tirelessly to positively impact and transform the lives of young West Baltimore students and their families.

“I am amazed at the progress of our scholars who were often overlooked and perhaps even written off due to the socioeconomic status of their neighborhoods. This program demonstrates that when students have opportunities and high expectations, they can rise to immeasurable heights.”

Launched in October 2015, the program has grown to include 80 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-graders, not to mention the nearly 200 mentors from UMB schools recruited by CURE staff members. The UMB CURE Scholars are the youngest ever to participate in the National Cancer Institute’s Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) national program. With the first cohort of UMB CURE middle schoolers entering high school in fall 2018, their improved grades, including math and reading scores, and stellar school attendance becomes all the more important.

After school on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, the scholars are transported to the Baltimore City Community College Life Sciences Institute at the University of Maryland BioPark for their training with mentors. On Saturdays, they meet at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy to take part in A Bridge to Academic Excellence, where they receive tutoring.

The UMB Writing Center also has held workshops to help prepare the students for the college application process. Field trips have included museums, mechanical engineering labs, pharmacy and dental school, anatomy class, and planetary presentations. Summer camps have exposed the scholars to new discoveries as well.

“I think it’s amazing,” said sixth-grade scholar Jazire Faw. “Last week we dissected a sheep’s eye, and I thought that was really cool.”

By enhancing that love of science from groups under-represented in the biomedical and health care workforces, UMB hopes to create a pipeline that will see the scholars through college into rewarding careers — breaking the cycle of poverty so prevalent in West Baltimore.

“We’ve established that in these students we’ve got talent to spare, but now we have to make the opportunity,” UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, said on Saturday, Oct. 14, as the third cohort of CURE scholars slipped on the program’s signature white laboratory coats.

“We have to dismantle the barriers that separate our young people from their potential and from their purpose. We have to give these students what they need to rise, because I’ve seen them rise, and it’s beautiful to watch.”

Each year at UMB’s Black History Month celebration, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity Recognition Awards are presented for individual and/or group achievements in the areas of diversity and inclusiveness. The recipients serve as models of the ideals epitomized by the life and work of Dr. King.

Saunders (pictured above with CURE colleagues Lauren Kareem, MEd, and Borndavid McCraw) is proud that the UMB CURE Scholars Program is taking its place among former outstanding staff recipients.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our challenging and complex yet rewarding work,” she said. “We are grateful to have been selected for this prestigious award named after a great man who gave his life to improve conditions for people who, like our scholars, are often overlooked, forgotten, and perhaps even written off. This award is a blessing and we greatly appreciate this acknowledgment on behalf of the many mentors, faculty, staff, and partners who support our important work, our amazing scholars, and our comprehensive program.”

Check out the December issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on Medicaid cuts under proposed health care legislation, a holiday greeting, Russell McClain’s Diversity Advisory Council presentation on bias, volunteers helping at Project Feast, CURE welcoming its third cohort of young scholars, seasonal safety tips, and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

Larry Nohe visits New York once or twice a year and doesn’t mind the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple.

In fact, he relishes it.

“I love New York City,” says Nohe, an information systems engineer at the School of Nursing. “Some people say, ‘Oh, I hate the crowds,’ but I love it. It has this energy that you don’t find anywhere else.”

Feeding off that energy, Nohe took a photo in Times Square that earned first-place honors in the 2017 Snap! UMB Photo Contest, with Nohe submitting the winning entry for the second year in a row. The black-and-white shot titled “Blockin’ out the Scenery, Breakin’ my Mind” — a nod to lyrics from the Five Man Electrical Band’s 1971 hit song “Signs” — shows an intriguing mix of street signs, traffic signals, and advertisements that dominate the city scenery.

“They do street fairs in New York where they close down the streets, and this one just happened to be Broadway,” says Nohe, a UMB employee for 11½ years. “My wife was poking around at one of the stands and I was just kind of taking pictures [with his Canon Rebel], got up on a light post, and shot above the crowd with a long lens. It looked OK in color, but when I switched it to black and white, it was even better.

Nohe, who says he took up photography about 15 years ago, was surprised to win the Snap! contest again and the $25 gift certificate redeemable at the UMB Seven Scholars Store. “Especially after looking at the other entries,” he says after visiting the display in the Fireplace Lounge of the SMC Campus Center. “Some of them are pretty formidable.”

Among those formidable photos were six from Tom Paullin, UMB’s senior director of philanthropy. Paullin had three second-place entries, one third-place shot, and two honorable-mention picks.

One of his second-place photos, “Airplane (Unpainted),” was taken on an overcast day last spring at Martin State Airport in Middle River, Md., which has an aviation museum that features vintage planes. The photo shows a plane’s side windows, part of a wing and an engine, and one propeller, with ominous-looking clouds in the background.

“There’s some neat old airplanes out there, and the unpainted one captured my eye,” says Paullin, who joined UMB last March. “I have a private pilot’s license and my dad was a World War II pilot, so I’ve always been interested in airplanes. I just thought that was an interesting visual, especially on kind of a gray day like it was.”

Paullin says another one of his second-place photos, “Cloudy Saturday in Baltimore Outer Harbor,” was taken on the same day as he ventured back into Baltimore.

“That photo and the airplane shot might have been my two favorites among my entries,” he says. “An interesting part of the harbor is that part where nobody goes, where all the industrial work and the shipping happens. It was one of those rainy Saturdays — I was in town and figured I’d go down with my [Olympus] camera and see what happens.”

Paullin was excited to participate in the Snap! competition, part of the University’s Council for the Arts & Culture. “I think it’s neat that the University has this,” he says of the contest, which drew nearly 240 entries. “It’s a good way to get the employees engaged. I enjoy taking photos when I get a chance, so it was good to see what other people think of them. I’m honored to have made the cut.”

The fourth annual Snap! UMB Photo Contest was judged by Council for the Arts & Culture chair Yumi Hogan, first lady of Maryland; Calla Thompson, an associate professor in photography at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Thomas Jemski and Mark Teske, photographers, videographers, and instructional support specialists at the School of Medicine.

“We had an eclectic mix of photos this year. I’m always pleased with the quality of the images,” says Steve Bossom, MFA, web developer in the Office of Communications and Public Affairs and coordinator of the Snap! contest. “Once again, I offer thanks to all of our judges for their dedication to this contest and for picking the winners.”

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 11 a.m., the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) will host a two-hour special event featuring the emotional exploration of Schwartz Rounds (Topic: “Taking Things Personally: The Toil and Harvest of Caregiving”) and a unique experiential Nursing Grand Rounds (Topic: “Odes, Licks, and Flicks: The Role of Humanities in Health Care”).

The event, which will be held in the UMMC Auditorium, is free and open to all University of Maryland students, residents, fellows, nurses, faculty, staff, and allied health providers.

Check out the November issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on UMB’s outreach to alumni, a wrap-up of Founders Week, Derreck Kayongo’s Politics and Policy presentation, MPower seed grant recipients and an award for the BioPark, stories on RISING Baltimore and the schools’ Mission of Mercy community service, a safety tip, and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.

We are called upon to make ethical decisions every day in our interactions, in our academic and professional pursuits, and in fulfilling our ongoing responsibilities. Our ethical decisions are reflected to our community through our actions. Compliance measures our ethical commitment to civility, integrity, and lawfulness. It demonstrates — individually and collectively — our desire to live our core values and shows our commitment to our culture.

The Office of Accountability and Compliance (OAC) is committed to UMB and its community. During National Ethics and Compliance Week, the OAC is committed to raising awareness and promoting thoughtfulness in our daily decision-making and interactions.

OAC is Open, Accessible, and Collaborative

This year, our National Ethics and Compliance Week activities will revolve around the importance of responsibility. In fulfilling our responsibilities, UMB and each of us become the leaders our core values call upon us to be.

All members of the UMB community are responsible for pursuing excellence in our work and our studies. We are responsible for obtaining and disseminating knowledge, all while acting professionally, respectfully, and courteously to one another. We have a responsibility to ourselves and others to demonstrate our leadership by working collaboratively to achieve great things.

Join OAC during National Ethics and Compliance Week as we demonstrate our commitment through a series of events, including:

2017 contest theme: UMB, Baltimore, and Beyond

Do you have inspiring images of the UMB campus? How about a great snapshot from your summer vacation? Photos of life in Baltimore? Pics of your pet? We want your photos of the campus, the city, and the entire world. Send them in!

Note: Photos of patients, or any photos taken in health care facilities, are not allowed.

Photos will be accepted in two camera formats:

Traditional

Higher quality, high-resolution photos, usually taken with a regular camera. Images may be in any format (square or rectilinear), but final dimensions must be no larger than 16″ x 20″ for the final print. Resolution must be no less than 150 pixels per inch (ppi). File size must be no greater than 10 megabytes.

Fun

Lower-resolution photos, such as those taken with standard cellphones. Images may be in any format (square or rectilinear), but final dimensions must be no larger than 16″ x 20″ for the final print. Resolution must be no less than 150 pixels per inch (ppi). File size must be no greater than 10 megabytes.

Find out more

Please see the contest rules at the Snap! website for details on the formats and for other information. Model releases are required for photos of people in some instances.

For more information about the Snap! UMB Photo Contest 2017, email Stephen Bossom.

Yvonne McMorris is a kind and trusting soul. Therefore, when her Carey School of Law colleagues told the faculty support manager she needed to attend a learning and development meeting on the 14th floor of the Saratoga Building on Sept. 28, she believed them.

She still believed them when UMB President Jay A. Perman, MD, entered the conference room and sat beside her. When he said she did a great job, she thanked him and waited for the meeting to start.

When Perman stated he had a lot to say about McMorris, she softly asked, “This is not about learning and development?” Even several minutes after being told she was UMB’s Employee of the Month, she still could not get over the fact the scheduled meeting was a hoax, saying, “And I came here with notes and everything,” to the delight of the cheering and laughing group assembled for the occasion.

“One of the faculty wrote that you are both the most competent and the most dedicated faculty assistant with whom she has ever worked,” Perman told McMorris. “She talks about the fact that when faculty are working against a deadline, it’s almost always you volunteering to stay late to finish the work.”

After receiving a plaque, a letter, and a promise of $250 in her next paycheck that brought her to tears, McMorris leaned back in her chair, still in disbelief, and answered questions about her UMB career.

An Inquiring Mind

A legal secretary in New York before moving to Maryland, McMorris came to the law school in March 1999 to do secretarial work. A diligent worker, she quickly showed a “thirst for knowledge,” according to Mary Alice Hohing, director of administration and operations, taking classes to improve her skills, earning promotions to administrative assistant II (2001), coordinator for faculty support (2006), and office manager (2014) after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Baltimore.

Curious by nature, McMorris says it’s impossible to work at the school and NOT learn something. “I tell staff when your professor is writing something, engage them, ask them what it is they are writing about, and become interested in what they are doing,” she says.

She said that professor emeritus David Bogen, LLB, LLM, educated her about black history and slavery while he was writing a book about it. “Just sitting there and listening, gaining the knowledge that he has — that is how it is when I am with each professor,” McMorris says. “If they are writing, I like to ask them questions.”

In addition to reading articles, books, and manuscripts for the professors, McMorris puts together recommendation letters, assists with research — “whatever faculty needs” — and helps train her fellow staff members.

Her efforts are most appreciated.

Professor Donald Gifford, JD, who calls McMorris the most competent and dedicated faculty assistant with whom he has worked in nearly 40 years in legal education, says, “When some other assistants are faced with a challenging task, they respond, ‘It can’t be done.’ In contrast, Yvonne’s response is always ‘I do know that can be done. Let me see what I can do.’”

Professor Paula Monopoli, JD, adds, “Yvonne is a role model for all the other administrative assistants whom she helps to supervise. Her willingness to pitch in at any time demonstrates her excellence as a team player.”

“I often say that great law schools are made up of great people — great students, faculty, staff, and alumni,” says Dean Donald B. Tobin, JD. “Yvonne McMorris is a perfect example. She represents our excellence. She is always willing to lend a hand; thinks ‘yes’ before ‘no’; and is always willing to take on new challenges and learn new things.”

When she read some of the faculty’s comments, McMorris smiled and said, “Wow, I’ll have to thank them.”

Dedication and Appreciation

Although she never expected to be August Employee of the Month, McMorris admits, “I give a lot.” She tells of running into an associate dean at midnight at the school when they were working on deadline projects, of students she has watched “blossom,” of longtime faculty such as William Reynolds, JD, and Daniel Goldberg, JD, who have given her as much as they have received. “I am fortunate to be able work with such wonderful people,” she says.

She attributes her work ethic to her faith and her parents.

“First of all, I’m a Christian, and the Bible states that I can do all things through Christ because He strengthens me. While living in England, my mom left nursing school to take care of her family. After my sister, brother, and I graduated from high school here in the United States, my mom went back to school full time for nursing, while she had a full-time job — it was now my mom’s turn. My mom gave me the inspiration for going back to school because she was my role model. She set the example. And she always says, ‘America is the land of opportunity.’ ”

With a wistful look, McMorris looked around the president’s conference room and exclaimed: “I am going to tell my children what happened today! I can’t believe this!”

Check out the October issue of The President’s Message. It includes Dr. Perman’s column on the Catalyst fundraising campaign, a look ahead to Founders Week and Derreck Kayongo’s Politics and Policy presentation, a recap of the quarterly Q&A, a safety tip for pedestrians, and a roundup of student, faculty, and staff achievements.